Muse on Booze
Welcome to our blog where we …errr, have a muse on booze.
Sammy and Jymi are just a couple of dudes who love the odd drink and also love to rate stuff, as we all do hey? So why not combine the two.
We review a beer every week and post it each weekend. So keep those eyes peeled now won’t you. As time ticks on we’ll be doing a few other booze related bits and bobs too, so again. EYES. PEELED!
See soon..
TWITTER: @museonbooze
BREWER: Attic Brew Co., West Midlands, England
STYLE: IPA
ABV: 5.6%
VESSEL: 440ml tin
TWITTER: @atticbrewco
INSTAGRAM: atticbrewco
DATE OF POST: 5th June 2023
JYMI SAY’S…
If we had reviewed this brew 3 or 4 years ago I think that I for one would have scored it a bit higher. See, even though Sammy & I still haven’t really got a flippin’ clue what we’re on about, like it or not, our palates have evolved, dare I say making us better at this reviewing game. And I also think the British beer scene has evolved too.
So, lets say it’s the year 2019 and Jymi is supping on a cold glass of Signals. He’d be very much enjoying it, picking up on the subtle hints of orange, apricot, pineapple and lemon as he made his way through the brew. He would have noted the good hoppy bitter finish. He would have noticed and enjoyed the light body for a beer weighing in at 5.6%. Now, all of this is the same today. However 2019 Jymi would have got more excited and started firing out big number scores L, R and C. However 2023 Jymi know that yes, this a really nice beer, but there are far better ones out there.
And less excitement means less points I’m afraid folks.
SAMMY SAY’S…
Signals could signal a good thing. Or it could be the complete opposite and lean towards predicting doom.
I’m pleased to say that in the case of Signals the beer it’s the former.
The bitter orange start to the beer is very refreshing. This is followed by a sweet orange finish. If you haven’t picked up on the main player here, it’s oranges. And these oranges are well balanced in Signals. There are hints of summer dappled throughout.
One thing we have to forgive the beer for is its lack of body. We can of course forgive that. But I can’t help wondering that with a little more body this beer would be elevated to greatness.
It is what it is. And as it happens, while not all in the lofty heights of greatness, Signals firmly has its feet in being a very good beer indeed.
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Twitter: @museonbooze
Instagram: muse.on.booze
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BREWER: Innis & Gunn, Lothian, Scotland
STYLE: Golden Ale
ABV: 6.6%
VESSEL: 330ml clear bottle
TWITTER: @innisandgunn
INSTAGRAM: innisandgunn
DATE OF POST: 29th May 2023
JYMI SAY’S…
Though this sounds like a very interesting brew from the description on our bottle’s label, before even opening this beer up I cannot get over just how bad the over all packaging is. And I think once again it is the fault of putting a golden beer in a clear bottle. And as I’m fairly sure I have mentioned in a previous review of a golden ale in a clear bottle, it look’s like a flippin’ piss bomb!
Anyway our label tells us that THE ORIGINAL (great name btw) has been aged for 51 days with this process bringing out the natural flavours of vanilla, toffee and oak.
And do you know what, they have nailed it to be fair. This trio of tastes are definitely present at varying times as you make you way through the brew, and there is a definite hint of a single malt during the aftertaste early on too. I wasn’t getting any vanilla at all until around half way down my glass. However, don’t let me falsely lead you into thinking this is a great beer because untimely I don’t think it is.
Look, I&G have done well to create the flavours they have from a clearly well thought out process. But I want more of those flavours. See what type of beer this was brewed to be I want The Original to be richer, fuller, boozyer, more of a treat. But instead it comes across a little half baked. I’m no brewer, though I can’t help but feel that the style of Golden Ale to carry these flavours may have been an error. It needs something a little darker to really get the message across.
Good effort but not without issues.
SAMMY SAY’S…
For a beer named The Original, it doesn’t have a name that’s very, well, original. However, it does have a look and USP (whisky cask matured) that’s quite original. So maybe the name is original.
Enough tying myself in unoriginal knots. Onto untangling what this beer’s all about.
The whisky hint definitely has impact from the first taste. It’s quite pleasant as well. The maturing process gives The Original a woody, almost smoky, taste. Eventually this gives way to sweetness laced with vanilla back notes. While I quite like this, I couldn’t take too much of it. But, Innis and Gunn have addressed that by packaging this beer up in a tasting sized bottle of only 330ml.
Clever.
Well, after the initial intrigue, The Original doesn’t do too much else that’s original.
Overall, it’s a decent drop with enough about it to give some interest. But there’s not enough extra about it to elevate the beer to anything special.
Perhaps more novelty than novel.
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Twitter: @museonbooze
Instagram: muse.on.booze
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BREWER: Tiny Rebel, Gwent, Wales
STYLE: New England IPA
ABV: 6.2%
VESSEL: 440ml tin
TWITTER: @tinyrebelbrewco
INSTAGRAM: tinyrebelbrewco
DATE OF POST: 22nd May 2023
SAMMY SAY’S…
505 is a decent drop, there’s no arguing it.
It’s quite soft in the mouth. It offers all the notes you might hope for from a hazy IPA: tropical and little pops of coconut. It’s even got a decent whiff about it.
However, it’s doesn’t reach heady heights. 505 is a bit of a steady Eddie. And that’s not something to be sniffed at. We need solid plodders. We need them to allow other beers to be elevated to greater heights.
The truth is, there are many out there who would love 505. I get it. I can see why they would. It’s a craft beer that the masses can enjoy. It definitely doesn’t slip into the beer abyss.
Another point of note about 505 – you could enjoy it without having to think about it. It just does its thing and you don’t need to delve too deeply into why it’s doing it.
I’d happily have it again. And I’d enjoy it. 505 just isn’t on my excellence list; it never will be.
JYMI SAY’S…
505, a beer named after the forever under-rated closing track of Arctic Monkeys second studio album, Favourite Worst Nightmare.
…and do you know what, I will be you know.
And the reason why is this. 505 is not a world beating NEIPA by any chalk. But it is very tasty, crazy drinkable and readily available at a very reasonable price at my local supermarket.
I think with a touch more body this brew from South Wales could be elevated towards greatness as most other boxes are ticked. There is a lovely mango, passionfruit and orange nose to 505. The mouthfeel in the sip is also fantastic. There is also the perfect NEIPA balance of sweetness moving to subtle bitterness. But it’s just near the back end of the whole experience where the slight lack of body stops our beer striking gold.
But as mentioned, this is well worth a go, especially for the price.
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Twitter: @museonbooze
Instagram: muse.on.booze
museonbooze.com
BREWER: Schöfferhofer, Hesse, Germany
STYLE: Wheat Beer & Fruit Juice
ABV: 2.5%
VESSEL: 0.5L tin
TWITTER: #schofferhofer
INSTAGRAM: schofferhofer
DATE OF POST: 14th May 2023
JYMI SAY’S…
Sometimes you have to wonder if the beer you’re drinking is actually a beer at all. Normally this is because the description of the brew is something like quadruple mango pulp juice bomb infused with an aged raspberry and port reduction coming in at 9.7% ABV. Actually sounds quite nice!
However, it’s not the wildness of the beer that makes one question it, it’s the fact it’s half wheat beer and half grapefruit juice! And only 2.5% ABV.
But even though the percentage is low, it is way big enough to qualify officially as a beer so judge as one we have to.
Mind slightly scrambled I embarked on the grapefruit journey…
Do you know what, it’s flippin’ tasty!!! And crazy refreshing!!! Reminds me of chugging grapefruit juice as a wee boy on holiday after discovering the wonders of the grapefruit.
Look, this is nowhere near being an amazing beer that you MUST go find and try. But it is different and very drinkable and honestly worth a go, as long as you’re ok with grapefruit of course.
SAMMY SAY’S…
When you think of this beer, think of bucks fizz. To be clear, I don’t mean the Eurovision Song Contest winning band. I mean the drink. It’s a drink you might have at a brunch. And so it is with Schofferhofer Grapefruit. It ticks exactly the same boxes.
I’m not going to wax lyrical about how great of a beer this is. Because it’s not. But it is very pleasant indeed. And it’s different.
From the outset, it’s full of grapefruit. As you would hope! Schofferhofer Grapefruit is unique and that’s what I like about. While it’s definitely not one for the purist, no doubt it’ll put a smile on your face. If you like grapefruit that is.
It might be difficult to score as a beer. But as a drink, I most certainly do like it. And it’s got its place at the posh breakfast table.
Would I go for it again? I’m having one with me scrambled eggs tomorrow.
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Twitter: @museonbooze
Instagram: muse.on.booze
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BREWER: Pomona Island, Greater Manchester, England
STYLE: IPA
ABV: 6.5%
VESSEL: 440ml tin
TWITTER: @PomonaIsland
INSTAGRAM: pomonaislandbrew
DATE OF POST: 8th May 2023
SAMMY SAY’S…
Now this is how you do an IPA!
So many times before I’ve bemoaned average IPA. We all know it’s a crowded market, with every craft brewery pushing their fares. More often than not, these offerings are perfectly drinkable, if not very good beers. But they all fall into oblivion, impossible to distinguish them from the last one you had. But here, we have Truth and the Grey Gloves Devil. And it’s better than good.
The hops, which I won’t list (classic ones used in making craft IPAs and listed on the can), are so well balanced. They come together in a way that makes the beer sing. Not literally but on your tastebuds. Sure, there’s all the usual notes you’d expect from a good IPA, but they are so well brewed that what we end up with is a product that’s greater than the sum of its parts. TATGGD is a delight to get your way through. It’s masterful from first mouthful to last draining of the glass.
It is so refreshing, literally and metaphorically, to have an IPA that delivers. There is no occasion when TATGGD wouldn’t be suitable beer companion. It’s big and it’s clever.
Cracking beer. Seriously, get your beer mitts on one. You will not regret it.
JYMI SAY’S…
Many years ago now myself, our old pal Ralph the landlord and a few other folk from the Dog and Dickhead went on a sea fishing trip. Ralph, a straight down the line Yorkshireman was a seasoned man of the waves and was keen to get a few of the locals involved to pull some fish from the sea with efficiency. Clever play on words there Ralphy boy I thought, so I agreed to go on the trip.
An unlikely collection of lads assembled early AM on a chilly March morning… and took to the ocean with much gusto.
Four hours into the trip and with no one having much to write home about, let alone have a picture taken with some straining scales (weighing device, not a bloated fish).
But thing’s were about to change…
Ralph suddenly hollered at the top of his lungs…
BOIZE!!! GIT THE NIT!!! WE GOTTA BEAUUUUTY HERE!!! YOU LIL’ RIIIIIIIPPER!!!!!
Now the whole crew were left aghast! Yes, because of the volume that Ralph could yell,, but mainly because of the Australian accent that came out of nowhere. This has not been heard nor spoken of since.
The fish Ralph landed that day was indeed a beauty… as is the brew we have for review this week. YOU LIL’ RIIIIIIIIIPER!!!
The Truth and the Grey Gloves Devil is a superb beer. It really is.
Notes and early scoring on this beer were shaping it up to get a very good score and write up… but things then just got better and better, for the beer and score anyway… I can only apologise about the write up.
TTATGGD starts you off on your journey with a tropical and juicy beginning, moving to a faint bitter finish that slowly creeps back in and then intensifies to an orange aftertaste. Very good.
Around halfway through the brew, as things start to mellow out a little, there is suddenly a move to Mango in the aftertaste. Very subtle at first and doesn’t move on to mad, but without doubt grows as you near the end of your TATTGGD experience.
Looks double dry hopped.
Tastes double dry hopped.
Notes on the tin suggest it may not be double dry hopped?
But I don’t give a f**k frankly as it tastes INCREDIBLE.
Good onya Pamona Island.
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Twitter: @museonbooze
Instagram: muse.on.booze
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BREWER: Theakston, North Yorkshire, England
STYLE: Premium Ale
ABV: 5.6%
VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle
TWITTER: @Theakston1827
INSTAGRAM: theakstonbrewery
DATE OF POST: 30th April 2023
JYMI SAY’S…
It’s an odd thing not expecting much and but being left wanting more… let me explain.
Old Peculiar has been kicking around for as long as I know. Have I drunk it before? Well, maybe, but I don’t recall it if I have. Now because it’s been available on supermarket shelves for forever it either means that it’s an exceptional brew or it kinda falls into the mediocre bracket of tasting ok for an affordable price so appeals to the mass market and sells well. Before even popping the bottle open I was fairly convinced that it was the latter. Hence not expecting much.
However, when exploring the bottle itself the words THE LEGEND stuck out to me. I mean, OP has been around for so long I suppose it could be a bit of a legend. But legend is such a strong word that if the beer is anything short of fantastic then I feel the word should not be used at all.
And the brew here IS well short of fantastic I’m afraid so therefore was very much left wanting more.
The nose on OP starts well as it’s rich and fruity but quickly turns medicinal and metallic. The taste of the beer does exactly the same, early promise of richness but with a serious lack of body. For a 5.6% Premium Ale this really should not be the case. As you progress through the drink everything does begin to improve slightly but all in all we have a palatable yes, but ultimately disappointing beer.
SAMMY SAY’S…
Imagine yourself in a pub owned by a large chain. There’s cheap food on offer. The large screen TVs pump out their sporting images, available in a range of different viewing aspects. Fruit machines flash, enticing people to part aimlessly with their hard-earned cash. The carpet is worn threadbare and is sticky from years of beer seeping into it. It’s not an unfamiliar scene. And this is where Old Peculiar would be at home.
Old Peculiar is one of those beers that slips effortlessly into averageness. Despite the story behind the beer and the promise of great things, it just doesn’t do much to impress. While it’s perfectly drinkable and there’s nothing particularly unpleasant about it, it doesn’t really give too much in the drinking experience.
That’s all there is to it.
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Twitter: @museonbooze
Instagram: muse.on.booze
museonbooze.com
BREWER: Fort Lapin, West Flanders, Belgium
STYLE: Tripel
ABV: 6%
VESSEL: 33cl brown bottle
TWITTER: #fortlapin
INSTAGRAM: fortlapin
DATE OF POST: 21st April 2023
SAMMY SAY’S…
Fort Lapin produces some great beers. There’s no arguing it. So, hopes might be high for Hoplapin. And to begin with, these heights are maintained – the nose is what you might wish for. It’s sweet and musty, leading into the world of Belgian beers.
But, and yes there is a but, the beer itself is a little bit of a let-down. Now, I am not saying that Hoplapin is poor because it’s not. In fact, it’s very drinkable and quite enjoyable. However, it sits somewhere between beer types. Not quite a Belgian and not quite an IPA. While its pine filled flavours are pleasant enough, it lacks identity. Hoplapin doesn’t quite fit any category. I don’t have a problem with this per se, but in this case, it leads to a little bit of confusion.
I like the concept. I get where the Fort Lapin brewing team are heading with Hoplapin. They want it to be a lighter Belgian. Perhaps, it’s aimed at those looking to step foot into the Belgian world with something a little lighter. It’s a bridge of a beer, if you will. But it doesn’t quite work for me.
That being said, would I have another one? Why yes I would. And I’d probably very much enjoy it.
JYMI SAY’S…
OK, before I continue I just need to check something…
Blimey. Inconclusive.
Ah well, I associate the word Lapin with rabbit, and I’m pretty sure our brewer dudes here do too. I cannot find a Flemish confirmation for this but we are where we are.
ANYWAY,
Awesome looking bottle for me, backed up by the simplest of logos yes, but utterly brilliant too. And what a name for a brew coming out of a brewery called Fort Lapin… HOPLAPIN, I mean they couldn’t not could they?!
To the beer itself, though the bottle doesn’t tell us this, we are dealing with a light version of their Tripel here. Quite what light means in this context again I’m not sure but… oh blah blah blah just get on with it.
Hoplapin has a great, sweet and vibrant nose. The delightful aroma is fresh and just screams BELGIUM! In the sip you get a lovely full citrus burst that is packed with lemon and lime which balance each other out very well. In the swallow the flavour mellows down in a good way leaving the drinker room to enjoy and contemplate the flavours of the sip. This is a very drinkable brew that belies it’s 6% weight.
Top beer from the team at Rabbit Castle.
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Twitter: @museonbooze
Instagram: muse.on.booze
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BREWER: Zagrebacka Pivovara, City of Zagreb, Croatia
STYLE: Lager
ABV: 5%
VESSEL: 0.33L
TWITTER: #ozujsko
INSTAGRAM: #ozujsko
DATE OF POST: 17th April 2023
SAMMY SAY’S…
Ožujsko is barely passable as a drinkable entity. I know there are many mass-produced beers out there. And I know that many of them are not well brewed. But few are as bad as this.
I get it, mass production brings lack of identity. It takes personality and puts it through a crusher so that what comes out the other side is a uniform product ready to go to worldwide distribution. We all know that this is a necessity. It keeps the industry going.
But Ožujsko is a prime example of just how terrible a product can be. It has zero personality. There’s not a hint of character beginning to emerge. It’s been so boiled down that the drinking experience is one not worth entering into.
I can’t think of any positives about the beer. So, I’m not going to state any.
My advice about Ožujsko would be to avoid at all costs. There are plenty superior mass-produced beers out there.
JYMI SAY’S…
Now, not being quite as fluent in Croatian as I once was meant that I didn’t understand a bleedin’ word of what the tin was trying to tell me. What I did make out was that this was a 5% lager and came in a 0.33L tin, though the second thing there I reckon I could have guessed.
So, a medium ABV lager from Croatia is what we’re dealing with this week – best crack on and let the beer do the talking.
Ok, a high and then a low with this one. And the high isn’t all that high if I’m being honest. See the sip flavour is quite pleasant. It’s refreshing and bringing an ok level of flavour and got me thinking that this may well turn out to be a fairly decent beer. However, in the swallow anything Ozujsko had going for it fell apart as the brew just falls off a cliff flavour wise, leaving me felling a little disappointed. There isn’t too much more to say here really.
The tin looks pretty cool and I’m fairly sure this would go down OK sitting by the sea in the blazing Split sunshine. But other than the initial sip this beer isn’t too good I’m afraid.
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Twitter: @museonbooze
Instagram: muse.on.booze
museonbooze.com
BREWER: Wolf Brewery, Norfolk, England
STYLE: Blonde Lager
ABV: 4.2%
VESSEL: 330ml brown bottle
TWITTER: @WolfBrewery
INSTAGRAM: wolfbrewery
DATE OF POST: 9th April 2023
JYMI SAY’S…
Love little Mr. Sheep sitting all surprised after realising he’s been duped by a frankly shite disguise from Mr.Wolf. But that’s where my love for this beer’s packaging ends.
Now, I only realised that Crafty Wolf was actually a lager as I sat it down in front of me ready to be tested. I’m normally fairly on top of what we have coming up but for some unknown reason I thought this was a Pale Ale. Gawd knows why.
Anyway, my heart sank a little when I noticed the beer style, especially when it was a double whammy of being a Blonde Lager as well!
Now the reason for this is that generally for me (there is a chance of contradiction in prior reviews!) I find the beer styles of Blonde and Lager struggle to fall into the ok bracket. They are either good / great or poor / terrible. So I was thinking with Crafty Wolf here, with the two combined, that this better be at least good or it’s gonna be awful!
Now, things did not get off to the best start as the nose of this brew is pretty unappealing. The initial taste as well is not really doing too much at all. Expert Power Notes read, ‘tastes like a wishy washy lager’. On reflection I’m not totally sure what I meant by that but it’s certainly not positive. It’s thin and defo not a jam-packed flavoursome drink as the label claims.
But to be fair to CW, as I made my way through the brew citrus notes began to develop in the early sip and a faint bitterness snuck in during the aftertaste. However, I did not enjoy this beer too much I’m afraid.
On a side note (this is not a dig at Wolf Brewery nor Felinfoel, who’s Double Dragon we reviewed recently), if you’re promoting that your beer has won an award, I really think that the year said award was won should be stated. Make of that what you will.
SAMMY SAY’S…
I feel it’s only fair that I’m going to start this review with a disclaimer: I am not a big fan of blonde beers. In fact, I’m not really a fan at any level at all. I know there are people out there that love them. But I am just not one of them. It takes an exceptionally good blonde to even get me onside.
Crafty Wolf is a blonde beer. It therefore goes without saying (although I have just mentioned it) that it has an uphill struggle for me to like it.
I’m afraid, it doesn’t make it up that hill. I simply do not like it.
However, that said, I can see how many people might like Crafty Wolf. It’s not holding back on its blonde credentials. It’s got an intense bittersweet flavour, which for some would be very enjoyable. For me, it’s too much. I’d go as far to say that I struggled to find my way to the bottom of the glass.
I was really rooting for Crafty Wolf to get a beer review nod from me. I like the fact that it comes from a small brewery. I even like the packaging and the artwork. I so desperately wanted to enjoy this beer. I just can’t find it in me to say that I enjoyed it because I didn’t.
If you’re partial to a blonde, give it a go. If you want to support small breweries out there, give it a go. I hope you like it. I really do. I feel it’s worthy of being enjoyed. And it’s in the wrong hands with me.
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Twitter: @museonbooze
Instagram: muse.on.booze
museonbooze.com
BREWER: Saltaire, West Yorkshire, England
STYLE: Session IPA
ABV: 4.1%
VESSEL: 330ml tin
TWITTER: @SaltaireBrewery
INSTAGRAM: saltairebrewery
DATE OF POST: 1st April 2023
SAMMY SAY’S…
Well, we’ve been here before. Velocity is a fizzer. As in, more head than beer on first pour. It’s always slightly annoying when this happens. But, hey, what can you do?
You could get really cheesed off and drink another beer. That would seem a little churlish, though. And so, you could drink the damn thing. That’s what I intend to do…
There’s nothing wrong with Velocity. It’s got a pleasant enough presence in the mouth, although most of the carbonation has dissipated in the enormous head. The flavour is sharp and fruity, as you might well imagine with a session IPA.
The thing is, while there might not be too much wrong, there’s not too much that stands out. Velocity is all a little, well, it’s underwhelming. It’s washed out. Easy to drink. Not offensive. But washed out.
Would I have another Velocity if offered? Sure, I would. But I wouldn’t be reaching for it again, particularly when there’s so many other, and for the most part better, options available in class. No, I would not.
JYMI SAY’S…
It seems appropriate to start with the definition of the term… Middle of the road.
MIDDLE OF THE ROAD:
used to describe a person, organization, opinion, beer or type of entertainment that is not extreme and is acceptable to or liked by most people.
And that kinda sums every aspect of our beer this week.
Velocity is a perfectly drinkable brew, but to call it a good beer would be wrong. But to call it a bad beer would also be wrong, because bad it is not. Sammy brought this one to the testing table so I don’t know the price of the pup. However, assuming that it isn’t too expensive I think you can find a place for this beer…
A drinkable, inoffensive and affordable fridge filler. Just don’t expect to get too excited.
And that, is all I have to say.
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Twitter: @museonbooze
Instagram: muse.on.booze
museonbooze.com
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